


A Word of Warning

by dreamlittleyo



Series: Distress and Disarray [6]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Guilt, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Rank Disparity, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-14 19:52:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15396165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamlittleyo/pseuds/dreamlittleyo
Summary: In which Lafayette has concerns.





	A Word of Warning

"You're bringing us down too hot," Washington protests, sparing a glance for Lafayette before returning his full attention to the less-than-reassuring readings on the console before him. It's just a sequence of numbers, but his mind parses them easily, conjuring an image to match. Visualizing the alarming slant of the shuttle's trajectory.

"Relax, General." There is laughter in Lafayette's voice, and in the way he lays his accent on thicker than usual. "I will land this shuttle safely. I know what I am doing."

Washington glares at the console, at the safety alerts pinging as Lafayette violates every rule and regulation without apparent remorse. He could order Lafayette to be more cautious, but he balks at the idea. Perhaps it's a matter of pride, or of stubbornness, he honestly doesn't know which.

Instead he contents himself with muttering, "I cannot fathom how you've managed to maintain a reputation as the best pilot in the fleet."

There is an audible smirk in Lafayette's voice when he retorts, "If you do not like my flying, perhaps you should have recruited Alexander for this jaunt instead."

Washington's head whips to the side, but Lafayette wears an expression of bland attention to his task. Dark eyes are fixed firmly on the console before him, and there is no hint of taunting to be seen.

Lafayette doesn't know what happened on PX629—the planet where poison and exhaustion made Hamilton delirious—the planet where Hamilton kissed him. Lafayette _does not know_ what happened, and he certainly doesn't know that Washington hasn't stopped thinking about it since.

But he must know something. The practiced blank of his face is _too_ perfect.

Washington suddenly wonders if this incautious demonstration is deliberate. To what purpose, he can't imagine. But he's been a passenger of Lafayette's piloting skills before, and they've never left him quite so doubtful of landing safely. There is green along the horizon now instead of roiling purple cloud banks. The ground is approaching much too quickly.

It takes all the self-restraint Washington can muster not to flinch when the shuttle descends through a patchy tree line and sets down with barely a thump.

"That was unnecessary." Washington unclenches his grip from the edges of the console now that he is certain they haven't been crushed on impact.

"I told you I knew what I was doing," Lafayette returns brightly. He unbuckles from his seat and begins shutting down the navigation and propulsion systems. "We have made good time. We're well ahead of schedule for our rendezvous with the survey team."

"We did not need to arrive early." Washington unbuckles as well, rising stiffly from the copilot's seat and rolling the worst of the tension from his shoulders. He requires no extra time to prepare for the exchange of information and supplies. Every necessary step was seen to aboard ship before they even departed for the planet.

"Perhaps not," Lafayette concedes, but there is something sharp-edged in the words. Too deliberate _not_ to be a call-out. It sounds very much like his suggestion that Washington should have brought Hamilton on this venture instead.

Washington freezes. Stares. Then, against his better judgment, says, "If there's something on your mind, Gil, I suggest you say it before I lose patience."

Lafayette completes his task and rises with his usual careless grace. When he turns to face Washington, the measured blankness is gone from his face, replaced with a look so piercing Washington immediately regrets pressing the issue. He can't retract the question; that would look too suspicious. Even if Lafayette already has suspicions of _something_ , Washington can't afford to make it worse.

Several deliberate seconds pass before Lafayette asks, "Why _didn't_ you elect Hamilton for this excursion?"

Washington blinks. Keeps his guard up and his tone bland when he answers, "Because I have an entire ship full of qualified officers who are not named Alexander Hamilton."

"True." Lafayette shrugs. "But that has never stopped you favoring him before. Why does it matter now?"

Washington wants to protest that he does _not_ favor Hamilton, but the lie would be transparent. He is accustomed to taking his clever communications chief on every away mission. A fact that has very abruptly changed since PX629.

He can't tell Lafayette the reason for that change. A bit of temporary awkwardness is no cause to upend a perfectly functional system. And Lafayette knows him too well. He would see clearly to the root of the problem: not Hamilton's misstep, but Washington's unconscionable distraction.

"That isn't your concern." It's an artless parry, but it's all he can manage through the racing of his pulse and tightness in his chest.

"True." But instead of dropping the subject, Lafayette takes a step nearer, eyes narrowing, mouth curling down at one corner. "But if I might offer some unsolicited advice?"

Washington hesitates, but gives a wary nod.

"Sir. I know he means a great deal to you. I know he was badly hurt on PX629. But the desire to protect him… You cannot allow it to affect your command decisions."

"Is that what you think I'm doing?" Washington asks, genuinely stunned. He doesn't correct Lafayette—doesn't point out that Hamilton's injuries were superficial—because this… It's a far less damning theory than the truth. And Washington is not fool enough to throw such a gift back into the universe's face.

"Do you intend to convince me otherwise?" Lafayette answers, calm and skeptical. "General, people will notice. People have already begun to notice. And the longer you continue like this, the more certain they will become that you are compromised."

The implication is clear even after Lafayette falls silent. That no matter how loyal his crew, it's only a matter of time before someone reports the problem. Hard to picture what the fallout might look like, but certainly Washington would be disciplined. A result less severe than if Starfleet Command knew the true situation and his failure to deal with it, but still a problem in the making.

There's no point arguing. What Lafayette is accusing him of is barely misconduct. Washington would have to be a fool indeed to offer up the truth instead.

"You're right." He allows his posture to ease, his shoulders to slump. "My judgment _has_ been compromised. You have my word I will address the problem."

Lafayette looks instantly relieved.

"Come on," Washington says, preempting any unwanted followup. "Let's signal the survey team."

"Yes, sir." Lafayette nods and gets back to work.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts: Slant, Exchange, Reputation


End file.
